Radio Broadcasting in Plateau State started in 1953 when Radio Nigeria, Lagos established a Booster Station for its operation in Jos. Radio Nigeria, Lagos was itself a relay station to the British Broadcasting Corporation[BBC], London. The aim at that time was to propagate programmes originating from the Colonial Government in Britain to its overseas Administrators and subjects in Nigeria.
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With the attainment of Independence in 1960, Radio Nigeria, Lagos gained autonomy and was re-christened Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation [NBC]. However, the Booster Station continued to be a booster Station of the NBC.Television in Plateau State started in 1974 on the other hand, when the state was still part of Benue-Plateau State. It was the then Military Governor of Benue-Plateau State, a Police Commissioner, Joseph Deshi Gomwalk of blessed memory who saw the need to establish a television station alongside the radio Station.
The Plateau Broadcasting Corporation [PBC] took over the radio Station, run by NBC and called the TV Station, Benue-Plateau Television [BPTV], Jos. BPTV became the first television station in West Africa to transmit its programmes in color.In 1977, the Federal Military Government under the leadership of General Olusegun Obasanjo took over all the State owned Television Stations in the Country. As a result of this, BPTV was merged with the Nigerian Television Authority and became NTA, Jos
Following the creation of Benue State out of the Benue-Plateau State, the Radio Station was renamed Plateau Broadcasting Corporation [PBC], Jos in 1978.At the dawn of the Second Republic, a new Constitution was drafted for the Country, which allowed for State ownership of Television Stations I 1979.The then Civilian Governor of Plateau State Mr. Solomon Daushep Lar therefore re-established a State-owned Television Station known at the time as Plateau Television Corporation [PTV], Jos by Provision of the State Law No. 1 of 1982.
PTV started transmission in 1982 and was located at Rayfield in Jos and covered the whole State inclusive of what is now Nasarawa State, which was carved out of Plateau State in 1996.From 1982, a new era of Radio and Television Broadcasting set in with PBC operating independently until in 1985, during the Military Regime of Naval Captain Samuel Bitrus Atukum through Edict No. 10 of 1986, merged Plateau Television [PTV] and Plateau Broadcasting Corporation [PBC] and renamed it Plateau Radio Television Corporation, PRTVC, Jos, with the Corporate Headquarters at No.5 J.D Gomwalk Road, Jos.
At that time, PRTVC comprised of the AM [Amplitude Modulation] Radio with its transmitter located along Miango Road in Jos and the Television Station which transmits on UHF. The SW [Short Wave] Radio of the PBC transmitter at Vom Road had been taken over by the Federal Government because States were not permitted to transmit on SW. In 1988, the State Government found it necessary to establish an FM [Frequency Modulation] Stereo Station to accommodate the ever-increasing entertainment need of the public. By 1988, PRTVC became a Tripartite Station with Radio 1 Am, Radio II FM Stereo [Power90.5] and TV Station [Transmitting on Channel 29].
To carter for parts of the Southern fringes of the State, a TV Transmitting Station with a 20 KW Haris Transmitter was installed and transmits its signal on Channel53. Despite this, there still exists some shadow areas in the Southern and Central Senatorial Zones of the State, particularly Kanam, Wase, Langtang North and South Local Government Areas that are not reached by our signals. For this reason, FM Stereo and TV transmitters are being installed at Dankang escarpment. Installation has reached over 90% completion and when completed, would take care of the shadow areas as well as parts of Taraba and Adamawa States.